My Current Interest

It’s funny how I look forward to each new season of Agatha Raisin even though Agatha herself drives me crazy. Her self-absorption is too much for me. How people don’t tell Agatha off more often, I have no idea. I’m not saying Agatha is all bad. If she was, I don’t know if I could watch this show at all, no matter how good the mysteries are. Fortunately, there are other characters that balance out the episodes. In many ways, I watch this show for them.  Agatha Raisin Season 4 Ashley Jensen Agatha Raisin is not a bodyguard It’s Christmas time in the Cotswolds in the first episode of the fourth season, “Kissing Christmas Goodbye.” Private investigator Agatha Raisin (Ashley Jensen) has delegated the planning of Christmas to her friend Roy Silver (Mathew Horne). Roy is trying his hardest to get Christmas together, but Agatha keeps upsetting his plans. Because when Agatha gets a case, everything else must be put on the back burner. Agatha’s case involves the death of a woman. Phyl...

Sometimes a book is incredibly timely. Just as Roe vs. Wade was being outrageously overturned, I was reading A Perfect Equation , the second book in the Secret Scientists of London series by Elizabeth Everett. As women’s reproductive rights were being sent back decades, if not centuries, I was reading about men protesting in the streets. What were they protesting about? How women were meant to be in the home taking care of their men and children. And doing nothing else. Does this sound like a mindset this country is falling back to? It certainly does to me. Interestingly, this book is set in the year 1843. So, in essence, we are moving back to the mentality of a time when a car would not be seen for the first time until decades later. Is that a time we really want to go back to? A Perfect Equation Secret Scientists of London Book 2 Elizabeth Everett Letty faces a double standard Letitia “Letty” Fenley has been disgraced. She had sex with a man without being married. Now she has been b...

I tried watching CSI: Vegas when it first aired on TV last fall. I barely got through the first episode. You see, I have gotten quite used to watching TV, new and old, without commercials. The show was also airing at a later time than I usually prefer. Add in the fact one of the commercials was for a news piece about a politician I don’t care for, and I was done watching CSI: Vegas as it first aired. I decided I would instead watch the season once it reached DVD . If it never reached DVD, I would live. Thankfully, season one did get released on DVD. I borrowed it from the library and found myself enjoying CSI: Vegas far more watching it that way than I ever would have on regular TV. CSI: Vegas Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillon, William Petersen, Jorja Fox, Paula Newsome, Mel Rodriguez Old faces and new in Las Vegas Someone is trying to kill former detective Jim Brass (Paul Guilfoyle). Or more accurately, tried to kill him. Because despite being half-blind, Brass is able to kill h...

I saw the most recent adaptation of Death on the Nile (2022) and walked away confused. It was very different from the other film versions I have seen. This made me wonder which film version was closest to the book. To find out, I had to actually read Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. I also had to rewatch the David Suchet and Peter Ustinov versions in order to compare everything accurately. Death on the Nile is one of those titles probably everyone has at least heard of. Whether they have read the novel or watched any of the adaptations is a different story. I myself had never read the book, but I had seen two adaptations before this most recent one. For this experiment, I got the book from the library , eager to read it, not knowing what a chore it would be. Death on the Nile was not an easy read. Although, I will give the book the benefit of the doubt. Had I not known the ending so well, I may have enjoyed the book more. Death on the Nile Agatha Christie Too much money lea...

It’s funny how one cast change can completely alter the dynamics of a show. Sometimes it is for the better. Sometimes it is for the worse. In the case of Diagnosis Murder , it was for the better. Diagnosis Murder Barry Van Dyke, Dick Van Dyke Goodbye, Dr. Stewart; Hello, Dr. Travis Dr. Jack Stewart (Scott Baio) has moved to Colorado. Because of the move, Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke) and Dr. Amanda Livingston (Victoria Rowell) no longer have their third partner for investigating criminal cases. These three were a trio for criminal investigations during the first two seasons. Now with the third season, it’s just the two of them. Except it’s not. Dr. Jesse Travis (Charlie Schlatter), a resident at Community General Hospital, is eager to jump in and help investigate whatever needs investigating. He’s also very enthusiastic to help with whatever medical cases come his way. Another person who left after season two is Mark’s secretary, Delores Mitchell (Delores Hall). Where she went, I don’...

There are not a lot of books that make me cry. But every once in a while, there is one that does. Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is a book that almost made me cry. I didn’t quite get to tears, but I was close. That’s because this book is so relatable! Who hasn’t at some point felt like the second choice (or third, or fourth . . .)? Who hasn’t felt there is something about themselves that makes them not as good as everyone else? If you haven’t ever felt either of these things at any moment in time, you are incredibly lucky. Charlie Vega has these feelings, and they are feelings I completely understand.       One of the toughest battles is our own insecurities There are many reasons Charlotte “Charlie” Vega feels she is not seen as being as good as everyone else. One of the biggest reasons is her weight. Even her mother is constantly on her about it. Charlie’s mother leaves her diet shakes and comments on what she is eating. Not exactly a way to get someone on the ...

I checked the library website for months to see if Whitstable Pearl was anywhere in our county library system. It is usually pretty good at getting the Acorn Original TV shows once they are available on DVD . That is why I was surprised no one in the system had this one. Except they did. For months I was leaving out the first “t,” a mistake I kept with me because I had read the title too fast when I first saw it. It’s funny how things like that can stick with you. Every time I saw the title afterwards, I removed the first “t.” Thankfully, I eventually saw my mistake and was able to watch this show. Whitstable Pearl Series 1 Kerry Godliman and Howard Charles You never know what people know Restaurant owner and private detective Pearl Nolan (Kerry Godliman) is the unfortunate person to find her friend Vinnie dead. Pearl becomes the immediate suspect and is questioned by the police repeatedly. The final officer to question her is DCI Mike McGuire (Howard Charles). Pearl lets Mike ...